Tangled Relations
by BelovedOne
Summary: Jacob Carter’s deepest, darkest secret is about to come out… with serious consequences. Stargate/JAG crossover. MacHarm, SamJack, JanetDaniel UPDATED! CHAPTER 7 IS UP!
1. Of Colonels & Coincidences

**"Tangled Relations"**

**Title:** "Tangled Relations"

**Author:** BelovedOne aka AmandaTeryl725

**Crossover:** Stargate SG-1/JAG

**Ships:** SamJack, JanetDaniel, MacHarm

**Status:** WIP

**Genre:**Humor/Romance/Angst (some)

**Archive:** Please ask permission—I'll probably say yes.

**Summary:** Jacob Carter's deepest, darkest secret is about to come out…with serious consequences. Sam is shocked at his deception, Mac is angry at him, and Janet receives some unexpected news that will forever change her relationship with Sam. One man connects three couples destined to be together, and destined to realize the meaning of "the ties that bind". A pair of sisters is brought together for the first time, best friends realize they are much closer than they thought, and families form and grow. Plenty of good 'shippiness' along the way, too—promise!

**Warnings:** Some swearing.

**Author's Note:** I feel the need to warn you readers that I bounce randomly from humor to angst to romance. It depends on what mood I'm in when I'm writing. This fic is a major crossover between two of the greatest TV shows ever—Stargate: SG-1 and JAG!!! I have recently become rather obsessed with both, and can't get enough of them. _Please_ read & review—and no flames, if you can help it. While I accept constructive criticism, having someone tell me "this sucks" or "this is absolutely terrible" isn't very helpful. However, hints on how I might improve the story, or suggestions on where the story could go are always welcome! So please, sit back, relax, and enjoy……

**Disclaimer:** I swear to tell the truth the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God. (Jack O'Neill: "Ohfercryinoutloud, just get on with it!") Ahem. As I was saying, JAG and Stargate: SG-1 do not belong to me. I make no claim to them, but if they were mine, d'you think I'd be sittin' here writin' stories about 'em? NO! Everybody who belonged together would be together (F*** those screw-ups who think happy relationships aren't good enough! Angst be damned, I WANNA SEE SOME _ROMANCE_!!!), and Janet Fraiser would never have died. Kill off someone else, for God sakes, but _not_ Janet! _NOT_ Janet!! Whyyyyyy?!?! How could they kill off such a good, sweet, kind, funny, loving, friendly, beautiful, loyal, vertically-challenged 'Napoleonic Power Monger'?!?! (That last one is courtesy of Jack in 'Crystal Skull'). I am terribly upset with whoever came up with that horrible idea.

Ah, yeah, right… Anyways, now that I'm done ranting (for the time being, at least), on with the story…

"Tangled Relations" Chapter One: Of Colonels and Coincidences 

~~~~~

"Carter?"

Major Samantha Carter looked up at her CO. "Yes, Colonel?"

"How long are ya gonna be gone?"

Exasperated, Sam massaged her temples to ward off the approaching headache. "Sir, you've asked me that six times already. My answer's still the same as it was ten minutes ago. I'll be gone for one week."

"Oh. Right."

The expression on his face was…well, she'd go so far as to label it "adorably crestfallen." She sighed. Folding another uniform, she placed it carefully atop the others piled in her suitcase. The Colonel quickly fled the room as she reached into her 'unmentionables' drawer. She withdrew what she needed, and was about to drop them into the case lying open across her bed when someone knocked at the door.

"I swear, sir, if you ask me again, I'll—Janet!" The petite doctor leaned against the doorframe, a slight smile curving her lips.

"Or you'll what, Major?"

Raking her fingers through her short blonde hair, she replied, "The Colonel's been in here a half-dozen times to ask me how long I'll be leaving for, and I'm getting fed up with it."

The smile became a full-fledged grin as Janet slipped into the room, the door closing softly behind her. "You still haven't answered my question."

Sam lifted her crystalline-blue eyes to meet her best friend's chocolate ones. "Can I shoot him?"

The base's CMO shrugged. "As long as I don't have to fix him up, you can do whatever you damn well please to the man. God knows he deserves it."

Slinging a sympathetic arm around the brunette's shoulders, Sam asked, "What's he done now?"

Janet fell backward onto the bed, taking her friend with her. Turning onto her side, she propped herself up on her elbow and said, "Colonel O'Neill is _the_ worst patient I've _ever_ had, bar none." She sighed deeply. "At his last physical, he was a stubborn, pathetic, uncooperative baby." She grinned. "So I stuck him in the ass with the biggest needle I could find."

The blonde winced. "Ouch." She chuckled. "What I wouldn't have given to see the look on his face when you did that…" She shifted to her back, staring up at the ceiling, and asked, "So, you packed yet?"

Janet nodded. "Mm-hm. You?"

Sam gestured to the half-full case to her right. "Almost done."

"Good. General Hammond says we're to leave in half an hour."

Sam grinned. "Sweet."

Janet gave her a look of mock disgust. "Ugh! You've been spending _far_ too much time around Colonel O'Neill."

"Yasureyoubetcha!"

"_Oh!_" The physician threw her hands up, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"Yeah, well, at least he doesn't ask you to go fishing with him. I get the begging, pleading, 'please-come-with-me, I-promise-I'll-be-good-for-the-rest-of-my-life,

if-you-don't-come-with-me-I'll-bug-you-and-drive-you-crazy-for-the-rest-of-your-miserable-pathetic-life' look. You know how hard it is to say no to that?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Uh-huh. That's why every time Daniel asks you something non-work-related, you get all worked up and never give him a straight answer."

"Takes one to know one, Major."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Talk about pathetic…Jack O'Neill follows you around like a lost puppy. If it weren't for those damn regulations, he'd have come after you a long time ago."

Sam's jaw dropped. "I beg your pardon?"

"Are you blind?! The man is hopelessly in love with you!!"

Sam climbed silently off the bed, resuming her packing. "I know, Janet. But there's nothing I can do about it. Not while we're both active in the Air Force and serving under the same command. You know the regs."

"Yes, I do, but I also know you, Sam. You hide your feelings, and it's affected you far more than you let on. I've seen the way you are with him. Sam, you two belong together. You know it, I know it, he knows it…"

"Janet, stop!" Sam's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she met her friend's startled gaze. "I _know_, okay? I get it."

"I'm sorry, Sam, I didn't mean to…"

"No, Jan, don't be sorry…it's just…" Her hands balled into fists as she paced the length of the room. "It's just so hard, you know? I mean, I have to work side-by-side with him almost every day, but I can't tell him how I feel about him—hell, I can't even look him in the eye anymore!" She turned away. "Besides, who're you to talk? You've got Daniel hanging off your every word—the man's fallen hard for you, Jan. He can't keep his eyes off you when you're in the same room, and he gets this look in his eyes whenever he hears your name. He's civilian, Jan. What's your excuse?"

The room was silent for several minutes as Janet watched Sam finish her packing.

Finally, she said, "I'm scared, Sam."

"Scared? Of what?"

"Of falling in love."

Sam snorted. "Isn't it a bit late for that?"

The doctor threw her a mock-glare. "Very funny. What I meant was, after what happened the last time I let myself get that close to someone, I'm nervous about doing it again. I got hurt, and even though I know Daniel would never do that to me, I'm still afraid."

"Janet?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell him."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

********

"Major Carter, Doctor Fraiser, you have my permission to leave the base." Both women stood, backs straight, and saluted him stiffly.

"Yessir, thank you, sir," they said together.

Hammond softened, smiled. "Sam, Janet, have a good time."

They grinned. "Yes, _sir!_"

Sam slung her bag over one shoulder and led the way out of the base.

They dropped Cassie's things off at O'Neill's place—she'd be staying with him for the duration of her mother's trip—arrived at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport a half and hour early, and caught their flight thirty minutes later. Once they'd settled into their seats, Sam pulled out her laptop and Janet retrieved the latest medical journal from her bag. They were dead to the world—and each other—until the plane landed at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC, three hours later. They disembarked, gathered their luggage, and headed straight for the Sheraton National Hotel. As the Air Force was providing their accommodations, the friends had decided to share a room. They received their keys at the front desk, and dropped their bags on their respective beds three minutes later. They exchanged glances.

"Class-A's?" Sam questioned.

Janet cringed. "Yup."

The blonde sighed, and they both began to don their dress uniforms.

********

Jacob Carter stepped through Earth's Stargate, and was greeted with the business ends of two dozen P-90's. Seeing who it was, the men behind the guns dropped their weapons to their sides, grinning at him.

"Welcome, General," said one sandy-haired airman.

"Airman," he acknowledged. "Where's General Hammond?"

"He's—"

"—right here," a voice finished. Jacob looked up to find the owner of said voice standing in the giant doorway of the Gate Room.

"George!"

"Jacob, good to see you!"

The retired Air Force General's face split into a jovial grin as he followed his old friend out of the Embarkation Room, his eyes searching for his daughter. "Where's Sam?"

"I'm sorry, Jacob, you just missed her. She's in Washington with Doctor Fraiser for a science/medical conference."

His disappointment was obvious as he said, "Oh, all right."

Hammond thought for a moment. "Jacob, have you still got your uniform?"

"Yeah, Sam's got it in her quarters. Why?"

"How would you like to take a trip to DC?"

********

"How was the lecture on new surgical techniques?"

"Good, but nothing they said could ever compare the surgeries I've had to do. I noticed they didn't include exploratory surgery to figure out why there's an explosive surrounding a child's heart, or surgery to fix up a staff weapon blast wound, or surgical removal of a Goa'uld symbiote."

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. This is a great conference, but their theories about wormholes and space and life on other planets—or in other galaxies—are so…_antiquated_."

Janet gave an unladylike snort. "Kinda hard to impress you when you go through wormholes weekly to save the planet."

"Yeah."

They paused just inside the door, and Sam glanced down for a moment as she dug through her purse for her sunglasses. She slid them on, and they left the building, arguing amiably over where to eat lunch. They were so preoccupied wih their discussion that Sam lost track of what was going on around her, and collided with another woman, throwing them both off-balance. Janet grabbed Sam's upper arm, steadying her, and the blonde turned apologetic eyes on the other woman.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am—_ma'am!_" Both Janet and Sam stood at attention when they saw the insignia of a Lt. Colonel on the lovely brunette's shoulders.

"As you were, Majors. No need to apologize; neither of us was watching where we were going."

Both women relaxed marginally. "Major Samantha Carter, and this is Major Doctor Janet Fraiser." Sam's eyes took in the woman before her: tall and slim with straight, dark brown hair cut two to three inches below her ears, deep, soulful brown eyes, and graceful features.

The woman smiled warmly. "Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie, but you can call me Mac."

"Then call me Sam."

"You're a Marine, then?"

"Yes. Air Force?"

"Uh-huh. You here for the convention?"

"What? Oh, uh, no—I'm here with my partner. We just finished with a JAG assignment, and now we're getting a few minutes of relaxation before we head back to headquarters."

"JAG? Wow, impressive."

The lawyer shrugged. "It pays the bills. Where're you stationed at?"

Sam and Janet exchanged glances. "Cheyenne Mountain Base."

"What do you do there?"

"Deep space radar telemetry," they answered simultaneously.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, contemplating their words. "So, in other words, it's highly classified, and if you told me you'd have to shoot me?"

"Yep, pretty much," Sam answered, liking this woman a little more with every minute that passed.

"Mac?"

All three women turned at the sound of the voice to find a tall, strikingly handsome Commander in a Navy uniform walking towards them. He was very tall—at least six feet—and had a strong, broad form and short, dark hair, his blue eyes set off by the matching color of his uniform. Mac smiled.

"Sam, Janet, meet my partner, Harm. Harm, this is—"

"Major Samantha Carter."

"Major Doctor Janet Fraiser."

He inclined his head slightly. "Nice to meet you both."

"Harm, they're Air Force."

His eyes lit up. "Really? Ever fly?"

Sam grinned. "Hell, yeah."

Mac groaned. "Oh, no."

Harm raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's not our fault you can't keep your breakfast down when you fly, Marine."

She smirked. "That only happens when I'm flying with you, Sailor."

"Oh, ha-ha. I suppose the fact that you ate a sixteen-ounce steak fifteen minutes before we went up had nothing to do with it?"

"Sam!"

The blonde whirled around, and was shocked to see her father threading his way through the crowd towards her. He emerged several seconds later, looking a little ruffled, and Sam grinned. "Hi! How'd you get here?"

"General Hammond told me where you were, and helped me catch the next flight here."

She hugged him fiercely, uncaring of who saw.

She felt him stiffen in her arms, and from behind her came Mac's voice: "Uncle Matt?"

To be continued… ***Please let me know what you think, and remember, no flames…BelovedOne aka AmandaTeryl725 


	2. Secrets

AN: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, guys! 

GateSeeker2 ~ Yes, you're right--since all three women were in their dress uniforms, it would most definitely have been obvious which branch of the military they were in! I have now proven beyond a doubt that I can indeed achieve the status of "Dumb Blonde." Anyway, sorry for the mistake, I'll try to watch for that from now on… Also, Sam was packing in her quarters, and yes, I'd think she'd have enough clothes there. For the purposes of my story, let's just assume she's got enough, shall we? Thank you for the complements, by the way. I felt like I really did well on this story; it's good to know someone agrees!

kiwi_me ~ Yep, Stargate and JAG just seem to blend really well…I *love* both shows, and as you'll see as the story progresses, I am a *very* dedicated 'shipper!

Claire9 ~ I'm glad you liked my summary! Hopefully I'll live up to it!

hdrexel ~ You're welcome! They're my favorite shows, too!

ladyhound ~ Hmm, I hadn't really thought of that, but you're right--Harm would get a major kick out of flying an X-303! Oohh, can you imagine--and what if Mac flew with him…? …Ohhh, the possibilities…

Arcana, Sci Fi Fan Gillian, rene, TJ, casper, The Fiction Spinder, Kala, Jolinar-3, & the rest ~ Thanks for the encouragement, all of you!

**Chapter 2: Secrets **

"Uncle Matt?"

Confused, Sam pulled away from Jacob. "Dad? What's she talking about?"

"Jacob?" Janet piped up. "You know Mac?"

"His name isn't Jacob," Mac said firmly. "It's Matt."

"No," Sam corrected, "Dad's name is _Jacob_."

"Dad?!" Mac repeated, now thoroughly confused.

Jacob silenced them. He sighed. "I _am_ Jacob, and I _am_ Matt."

"What?!"

"Excuse me?!"

"Um, Jacob, perhaps it would be prudent to take this elsewhere," Janet pointed out. "Maybe we should go back to our hotel room." She received several nods in answer, and led the way, Sam, Jacob, Mac, and Harm right on her heels.

********

Janet unlocked the door to her and Sam's shared hotel room, herding the silent quartet into the room and shutting the door.

Sam and Mac perched themselves at the end of Sam's bed, waiting. Harm stood awkwardly off to one side. Janet moved across the room to her bag, retrieved a bottle of water from a side pocket, and took a quick drink as she seated herself on her own bed.

"So?" Jacob's eyes flew upward to meet hers. "Why don't you just start from the beginning, Jacob." Mac's lips thinned at the use of this strange name for her uncle.

The old man sighed. "I was born Matthew O'Hara. The day I turned eighteen, I joined the Air Force. Three days after my twenty-first birthday, I was asked to be a part of an elite team, one used for special ops, dangerous rescue missions, and information gathering. Apparently, they'd been observing myself and several others from day one, and they decided that my skills were perfect for the job. I was their undercover specialist; the alias I used most frequently was Jacob Carter."

Here, Sam's eyes hardened.

"After several years, it got to the point where I had two identities: my own, and that of Jacob Carter. I was under orders to keep up the façade. It was around this time that I learned that my sister was marrying a man by the name of Joe MacKenzie"—His gaze turned to Mac—"Your father, Sarah. A short time after their marriage, I became an uncle." By this time, Sam's gaze was alternating between Mac and her father. "I was there the day you were born. You were _so_ beautiful, Sarah. You still are. Just like your mother."

His face took on a pained expression. "Had I known about Joe and what he was doing to you and your mother, I'd have brought you to live with me. But I didn't know. I'm so sorry, Sarah." He was quiet for a moment.

"As Jacob, I met Emily Johanssen. I fell in love with her the first time I laid eyes on her. She was the sweetest creature on earth, and had a heart of gold. We were married just four months after we met. Ten months later, she gave birth to you, Sam. You two were actually only about a year apart—Sarah's just slightly younger."

He smiled slightly as the two women exchanged glances, sizing one another up as they realized exactly what all this meant: they were cousins. Janet's jaw hit the floor as she processed this information. _Oh my God…_ Harm, on the other hand, was staring at Jacob as if he'd grown horns.

"Five years later, at about the same time your mother abandoned you, Sarah, Emily had Mark. We were _so_ happy." He gazed adoringly at his precious little girl. "You were a gift from God, Sam. You were so beautiful—even more so now—and such a smart girl. I'd catch you sitting up in your bed at night, staring out the window at the stars. You could name every one of those constellations by the time you were seven. You started talking at one, spoke in full sentences by two, you were reading by three, and at four, you were already able to write clearly. Mark looked up to you, and you looked up to me. I was your hero…and you were daddy's little girl."

His eyes filled with tears. "Ten years later, at the same time that I found out what was going on with Sarah, Emily died in a car crash. I nearly lost it then—my wife was dead, my children hated me, my sister had disappeared years before without my noticing it, and my neice…"

He trailed off, and then met Mac's gaze squarely. "Sarah, you managed to get yourself into more trouble than I'd thought possible. The drinking, the accident…I was so afraid for you. But you made it through, and you joined the Marines the very same day Sam signed up with the Air Force. I couldn't have been more proud. I renewed my search for my sister, and found out she'd remarried, and had four more children, two sets of identical twins; first the girls, and then three years later, she'd had boys—"

Janet choked on the sip of water she'd just taken. Sam was on her feet in an instant, pounding her on the back until she was able to breath properly again. "Jacob…what was your sister's name?"

He looked confused. "Deanna. Why?"

Janet gasped. "Oh my God… I knew her… I knew your sister…"

"_What?_ How?"

Janet was silent for several moments. Finally, she lifted her gaze to meet his. "She's my mother."

To be continued… 

***Remember, please review, and keep the flames to a minimum. Anyone who misbehaves will rapidly find themselves at the wrong end of a pissed-off Jaffa's staff weapon. ;o) Thanks! ~BelovedOne aka AmandaTeryl725


	3. Family Ties

EridaniMoon Yeah, I think Mark is older than Sam, but can we just pretend he's not for the sake of my story? Sorry about the oopsie, though. I'll try to pay closer attention to that kind of thing from now on. No more killing Janet, huh? Well, I tell you what—if you promise to always bring her back when you do kill her, then I'll promise to update as often as possible (which I'm afraid wont be very often at all, as I'm experiencing a particularly bad case of writer's block at the moment). Deal?

Everyone Else Thank you _sooooo_ much for all of your support, even when I didn't update forever. I apologize for taking such a long time to update—I've had a lot of stuff going on, and haven't been able to get my butt in gear and finish this chapter. I was having trouble deciding what to do next in the story, and I had no idea how to end the chapter. Then, I started writing an addition to the chapter, and I just realized the other day that I could end it right in the middle of the new part, with a bit of a cliff-hanger, which I hope will motivate me to write the next chapter quickly! Anyway, for those of you who've stuck with me through this long-winded explanation (in other words, my _excuse_), _on with the story…!_

**Chapter 3: Family Ties**

"…She's my mother."

Harm, Mac, Sam, and Jacob all stared at Janet, the latter three stunned, and the former just confused.

Finally, Sam spoke: "Are you trying to tell me that your mother is the sister I never knew my father had?"

Janet nodded.

"Oh my God…that means we're…"

"Cousins," Jacob finished. "And Janet is my neice."

Mac looked back and forth between the three of them.

"And Janet and Mac are half-sisters," Harm deduced.

The two dark-haired, dark-eyed women stared at each other.

Sam examined the two of them. "But they barely look alike—I mean, both are tan, both have brown hair and brown eyes, but that's where it stops… Mac's tall, and Janet's… well, she's _short_. Mac's hair is darker and straighter; Janet's is longer, lighter, and wavier."

"Okay, wait," Harm butted in. "So, what you're all saying is that Mac and Janet are sisters, and Sam here is their cousin? And Matt—er, Jacob—is Mac and Janet's uncle, and Sam's Dad?"

"Uh, yeah, that about sums it up," Jacob said.

The older man turned his gaze to the three women, who were staring at him—correction: Janet was staring, the other two were glaring. Harm edged away from the trio, becoming concerned for Jacob's continued good health.

"Sooo, _Uncle_ Jacob… or should I call you _Matt_?"

"Janet, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you—"

She snorted. "Well, that much was obvious!"

"How could you do this to me? My entire life has been based on a _lie_! And what about Mac? Huh? Were you _ever_ gonna tell us about this, or were we gonna go on for the rest of our lives never knowing?"

"Sammie—"

"_Don't_ you 'Sammie' me!" Sam cried. "_When were you going to tell us?_"

"I…I don't know…"

"Why didn't you help me, Uncle Matt?"

"Sarah, sweetheart, believe me, if I'd known, I would've brought you to live with me. You and Sam would likely have been raised as sisters."

Mac bristled. "Well, you didn't, did you? And I was abandoned by my own mother, who went off and married some other man, and had brothers and sisters I didn't even know about until just now."

Jacob looked back and forth between them helplessly, at a loss for words. His eyes shone with unshed tears as he turned away, walking to the window and staring out at the city. Sam, who'd up until now been angry, softened, and followed her father, sliding her arms around him and hugging him tightly. He returned the embrace, his body shaking as he let out the pain and grief and guilt he'd had bottled up for so long.

A tear slipped down Sam's cheek as she said, "Daddy, please don't cry. I don't know if I can forgive you yet, but I do know this: You are still Jacob Carter to me, and you're still my father. Got it?"

He nodded, his head still buried in her shoulder. She led him back to where her newfound cousins were still sitting, making him take a seat on Janet's bed. He stared at the floor for several moments before looking up at them. They were sitting in a row now, two brunettes and a blonde, two tall and one short, two Air Force officers and a Marine, two Majors and a Lt. Colonel, two neices and a daughter. He took them in as they were, together for the first time, and rose, gathering them all in a great bear hug. Crushed as they were in his grip, the three women gladly returned the hug, as Harm stood by, looking thoroughly confused. Thirty seconds ago, they'd looked like they were going to murder this guy, and now they were _hugging_ him? He shook his head. He'd never understand women.

-/-

Several hours had passed, hours filled with conversation about their current situation, when Sam's cell phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, and immediately flipped it open.

"Major Carter. Yes. Yes. No, that's—okay, all right. I'll be—no, I'll—General? Yes, sir… yes, sir… no, sir… of course, sir…got it. All right, we'll catch the next flight home." She closed the phone and looked up at the others. "Janet, I'm sorry, but we've got to report back to the SGC immediately—Dad, you're needed there, too. Mac, Harm, I'm sorry—" She was cut off when Mac jumped, reaching into her jacket and fishing out her vibrating cell phone.

She answered it with a crisp, "Colonel Mackenzie. Oh, hey, Bud. Yeah, we're ready to head home, why? What? We do? What happened? … Oh… all right, put the Admiral on… Hello, sir… Bud said—yes, we're… Okay, we'll… All right, sir, we'll do that. Has the flight been arranged? One hour? Yes, sir… Yes, sir. Where are we going? _What?!_ Oh, uh—no, sir, there's no problem… Just surprised me, that's all. … No, sir … Yes, sir. Goodbye, sir."

Mac opened and closed her mouth several times before finally saying, "Well, it looks like we'll be going with you."

Sam's brow creased. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we've been called into Cheyenne Mountain Base on official JAG business. Apparently, there's been a casualty, and an investigation has to be made regarding the circumstances surrounding the death."

Sam exchanged a wide-eyed look with Janet. "A casualty? Did they say who it was?"

Mac shook her head. "No, just that someone had died. Strange; why would there be a casualty in a program that studies deep space radar telemetry? Admiral Chegwidden said the entire situation was classified, and that we'd only be briefed once we were there."

Jacob gave his daughter a worried look; he knew she was concerned for the other members of her team, one in particular.

"All right," Janet said briskly. "Let's get going. Everybody pack, and we'll meet at the airport in twenty minutes. Mac, get the information on your flight, and put three more tickets on the tab. Move it!" At the sound of her 'CMO voice' everyone went into action, the pair of JAG lawyers rushing out of the room as the two SGC officers began throwing their belongings into their suitcases. Five minutes later they were out the door, Janet calling Mac on her cell to find out which airport they were leaving from. They checked out of their hotel, and the group of five met up, boarded their plane, and lifted off a little over an hour after they'd received the intitial call.

-/-

There was a car awaiting them in Colorado Springs. They all climbed in, and were quickly taken to Cheyenne Mountain. Sam and Janet led them inside, flashing their IDs at each of the security checkpoints. They reached the elevator, where Sam hit the button for the 28th floor. Mac looked confused.

"I thought this facility only had twenty floors."

Sam turned to face her. "No, they've added on in the past few years."

"So you're not part of NORAD, then?"

Sam shook her head, but didn't elaborate.

The elevator slid to a stop, and the doors opened to reveal the SGC. Several airmen passed by, stopping only long enough to salute them as they stepped out. Sam led them expertly through the maze of corridors to the briefing room. When they arrived, Hammond was already seated in his customary place at the head of the table, his hands folded in front of him and his expression grim. He watched silently as Fraiser took the seat to his right, and Carter the one to his left. Her father took the one beside her, their two visitors sitting opposite him. They'd just gotten settled when the door flew open to admit a breathless O'Neill, who was followed closely by Jackson and Teal'c. The latter of the three wore a hat to conceal the distinctive gold emblem of Apophis that was emblazoned across his forehead. Jack sank into the chair beside Jacob, Teal'c the one at the end of the table, and Daniel the seat beside Harm.

Upon seeing her commanding officer—and the rest of her teammates—alive and well, Sam sighed in relief. Janet shot her a look, which she ignored, instead focusing her attention on Hammond.

The General looked down at the table for a moment as he collected his thoughts, and then said, "We lost Captain Connors earlier this afternoon. He was killed in action, and will be listed as such, but it is my belief that his death could have been prevented. SG-14 was caught in a firefight this morning. They were attacked by a group of Jaffa who are still loyal to Apophis. The Jaffa were seeking revenge for his death, as well as the loss of his son, Klorel. Colonel Bryant gave the order to retreat, but Major Howell demanded that he 'stay and fight like a man,' at which Captain Connors hesitated. He had just begun to head for the 'Gate when a Jaffa hit him dead center in the back. His spine was destroyed, both of his lungs were punctured, and his heart was grazed by the blast. He died of complications an hour later. He never woke up."

Sam stared down at the tabletop as she thought back to all the times SG-1 had been in that kind of situation; the only reason _they_ were still alive was teamwork, something Major Howell apparently hadn't mastered. When she looked up, she observed the obvious confusion on Mac and Harm's faces. She looked to Hammond, who silently gave her permission.

She took a deep breath, and then stood, moving to the window that overlooked the Gate Room. "First of all, this is Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie and Commander Harmon Rabb."

"Mac." "Harm." The two JAG lawyers spoke simultaneously.

"Colonel, Commander, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill, my CO and the leader of SG-1, the flagship team of this facility. This is Dr. Daniel Jackson, an archaeologist; he's also on SG-1. And this is Teal'c. I'll tell you more about him later, but suffice it to say that he's a member of SG-1, too. This is General George Hammond, the Commanding Officer of Stargate Command."

"Major? What's 'Stargate Command'?"

"If you'll please look into the room below this one, I'll explain." The two officers obliged, standing beside her and peering down at the great upright stone circle.

"What the…" Harm trailed off, speechless.

"That is the Stargate, a portal in which we create wormholes that enable us to travel across the galaxy to other planets."

Mac and Harm stared at her as if she'd grown horns. It was at this point that Hammond stood up and said, "What she's saying is true. This program has been running for seven years now."

Mac recovered first, saying, "Seven _years_?! How could the government run a program like this for _seven years_ without anybody knowing about it?"

"Oh, it's that whole 'if-I-told-you-I'd-have-to-shoot-you' thing," Jack spoke up. As the pair of lawyers gawked at him, he shrugged. "We're good a keeping secrets." He eyed Mac. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to be related to a psychologist named MacKenzie, would you?"

As Mac shook her head no and he sighed in relief, Sam said, "_Sir_!"

"Whaaaat?"

Exasperated, the Major ran her fingers through her tousled hair. "Anyway, as I was saying, we use _that_ thing"—she jerked a thumb over her shoulder, indicating the 'Gate—"to travel to other planets. We explore, collect data, learn about ancient civilizations that lived as recently as a few hundred years ago on these other planets, and most importantly, we fight the Goa'uld."

"The—the what? The 'Gold'?" Harm asked, baffled.

"It's Go-ahh-ooold," Sam corrected. "They're a parasitical alien race who attach themselves to the brainstems of humanoid species, take complete control of the body, and use them as hosts. There are planets all over this galaxy that are populated by humans who originated from Earth. The Goa'uld brought them from our planet, and they've evolved into unique cultures. Dr. Jackson is the expert on that; if you have any questions regarding foreign languages, ancient civilizations, or the cultures of Earth—or other planets, for that matter—just ask him." She paused for a moment.

Mac raised an eyebrow. _"So, you're an archaeologist?"_ she asked in Farsi.

Once he'd recovered from his surprise, Daniel answered, _"Yes. How do you know Farsi?"_

_"My mother taught me,"_ she replied in Russian, and then said in a mix of French, Italian, and German, _"I am fluent in a total of five languages, excluding English."_

It took Daniel a moment to decipher what she'd said, but once he had, he was impressed; he knew he would enjoy getting to know this woman.

Janet, who'd until now been silent, said softly, _"It would seem we share the gift of language, sister."_

Mac turned to stare at her half-sister. She realized that her—_their­­_—­m­other had taught her Farsi, too. In Farsi, she replied, _"It would."_

It was Daniel's turn to stare at the petite physician as she broke out into five different languages in a single statement: _"Mama taught me Farsi, but I learned Spanish from my best friend's family, took French and German in high school, and the Italian I picked up when I stayed in __Rome__ for a year as an exchange student."_

Sam glanced between the three of them, and then said in Spanish, _"Can we get back to business, please?"_ Daniel and Janet nodded, and Mac, who knew enough of the language to follow what had been said, inclined her head slightly in agreement, much like Teal'c.

Jack, who had watched the entire conversation as one might watch a tennis match, his gaze moving from person to person, suddenly spoke up: "Uh, how 'bout we keep this in English, please?"

"Uh, yeah, that'd be nice," Harm said, looking slightly confused. Everyone smiled, and nodded in agreement.

With his trademark shit-eating grin, Jack said, _"Gracias."_

Sam rolled her eyes and said, "_Anyway_, as I was saying…we've been fighting the Goa'uld ever since we first opened the Gate. SG-1, especially, has built quite a reputation among the System Lords, and we're well aware of the price on our heads. In the past few years, they've really stepped up their offensive maneuvers, and have organized several ambushes, all of which have failed either because we were able to beat them, or we were able to escape, or we were forewarned by one of our allies." Sam went on to explain that this time, there had been no warning, and the team in question had not had enough firepower to put a up a decent fight, and so had retreated through the Gate, but not before a good man was killed in action. The General filled in the details, and before long, Mac and Harm were asking the inevitable questions regarding the Goa'uld. Between the four of them, SG-1 managed a detailed description of what they knew about the System Lords, and then the conversation turned to Earth's allies. Sam and Daniel told them about the Tok'ra, the Asgard, the Nox, and the rebel Jaffa, although for the moment they left out the most obvious examples: Jacob and Teal'c.

By the time they'd finished, the two JAG officers were staring at them, completely flabbergasted.

Personally, Sam didn't blame them; it was a lot to take in all at once.

The entire group was startled out of its silence by the sudden activation of the emergency klaxons, the sirens shrilling even as the General was paged to the control room.

He left the room, and everyone else scrambled to follow him. Janet stood silently between Sam and the General, observing; Jacob was behind his daughter, one hand resting on her shoulder; Harm and Mac were to Hammond's left, watching in astonishment as the 'Gate activated, filling the room with a blaze of blue light,; and Jack, Daniel and Teal'c were clustered together on Sam's other side.

The event horizon had barely settled into its usual shimmering blue pool when the speakers overhead crackled to life, emitting a high-pitched shrieking sound before the panicked voice of Major Burns spilled out into the room, shouting over the sounds of automatic gunfire and weapons discharges in the background.

"We're under attack! We need back-up, NOW!! Please, sir, if you can hear this, send through another team to help us out here! Lieutenant, retreat to my position—LIEUTENANT!! Sir, Lieutenant Harden's just taken a hit! I repeat; Lt. Harden is down! Send a medical team!"

The communication was cut off abruptly before Hammond could respond, the near-silence of the room broken only by the soft buzzing of the speakers. The tech's hand moved over the controls, and the Gate shut down.

The General turned to face to group that had gathered. "Doctor, gear up and assemble a medical team. You may bring two individuals with you. SG-1, you will be joining them. Be in the Gate Room in five minutes. Dismissed."

"Yes, sir!" Pausing briefly to embrace her father, Sam followed her teammates out of the Control Room. As they headed for their locker room to change into their field uniforms, Janet raced to the infirmary to gather everything she'd need.

Exactly five minutes later, they were assembled, standing at attention in full battle gear, facing the General, who stood on the ramp leading up to the Gate, the stone ring framing him as he stated their mission: "Bring them home safe."

Behind him, the Gate activated, exploding outward before settling into a rippling pool, its blue light casting a ghostly glow over everything it touched.

"SG-1, you have a go." He looked over this gathering of his best and brightest. "Godspeed."

As one, the group of seven snapped off perfect salutes, and then strode up the ramp, past the General, and into the event horizon of the Stargate. A few moments after the last person stepped through, the wormhole closed. George Hammond's heart was heavy with dread. He knew not what lay ahead for his brave soldiers, but he did know this: the way would be difficult, and fraught with danger. He stared at the darkened Gate, wondering at the way it brought life and death equally, without discrimination.

Up in the Control Room, Mac asked, "What now?"

The retired Air Force General-turned-Tok'ra was silent for a long while. Finally, he said, "We wait."

-/-

OK – now review!! I wanna know what you think! PLEASE!!!


	4. Dead or Alive

AN: I am _sooooo_ sorry for the extremely long wait between updates. I've been skipping around to different parts of this story, working on future chapters, and neglected this one. Well, that and my muse decided now would be a good time to take a vacation. Traitor. Anyways, I hope you guys like this one… And please review! I always anjoy hearing what people think about my writing! (Constructive criticism is OK, too – it helps me to improve my writing – but flames will be taken care of by my very own legion of loyal Jaffa. Did I mention that they're loyal? LOL… so, it's on with the story…

_Previously:  
__Up in the Control Room, Mac asked, "What now?"  
__The retired Air Force General-turned-Tok'ra was silent for a long while. Finally, he said, "We wait."_

-/\-

_**TANGLED RELATIONS**_

_Chapter 4: Dead or Alive_

The moment SG-1 stepped through the wormhole, they dropped to the ground to avoid being hit by the weapon discharge that was aimed in their direction. The blast came so close to them that they could hear the air crackling with energy after it passed. Cautiously, Jack raised his head slightly, peering out at their surroundings. Everything had grown eerily quiet, a fact that set Jack's senses on edge, his instincts telling him that this was all wrong, that something terrible was about to happen. He glanced over at Sam, who was crouched next to him, and held up three fingers before pointing to where the trees were the thickest. She nodded. An instant later, they rose and let loose with an explosion of bullets, raining them down on the enemy even as they ducked several shots aimed their way. Teal'c was firing his staff weapon as well, the trees smoldering as he took them out in an attempt to reveal the group of natives who were firing upon them. When Jack ducked back behind the DHD long enough to reload, he was mildly surprised to see Janet kneeling in front of Sam, her P-90 propped up on one knee as she fired into the trees. All fell silent ten minutes later, when the weapons discharges that had been emerging from the forest ceased. Jack moved forward, eyeing his surroundings warily. He could detect no movement from the target area, and his ears weren't picking up any sounds. Without turning, he signaled the others to follow him, and they made their way to where the three soldiers were. Their bullet-riddled bodies lay strewn across the small clearing, blood soaking the ground around them, strange-looking weapons still grasped loosely in their hands. Janet and her assistants moved from body to body, assessing the damage.

"All dead," she reported, her expression carefully neutral. Despite her efforts, Jack could see how much it hurt her to have gone against her oath to do no harm. She'd helped take these men down, a fact that would forever weigh on her conscience, just as every death he'd caused weighed on his.

They left the clearing, running into Major Corey Burns at the edge of the forest. He was wounded, with one hand clamped over his shoulder. Blood oozed between his fingers, soaking through the makeshift bandage of scraps of fabric torn from his shirt. Janet immediately tended to him, removing the 'bandage' and splashing a little antiseptic liquid on his wound before wrapping several layers of sterile gauze around his arm. Jack urged them on, and Janet slid one arm beneath the Major's uninjured shoulder, supporting him as they moved forward.

"Major, what exactly happened?" Jack questioned as they neared another stand of trees. Before the younger man could answer, O'Neill dropped to the ground, gesturing sharply that everyone else should do the same.

There was dead silence in their group as Jack rose from his crouched position, indicating that they should do the same. They crept forward, and Jack held up one hand. After a quick, wordless exchange with the injured Major, he pointed at Janet and Sam, and then pointed to his right. They moved off as he gave directions to everyone else, Janet handing her charge off to one of her assistants as she passed.

According to the Major, the team had been split up. Captain Michaels had disappeared off to the right, Colonel Derrick to the left, and Captain Donner was most likely dead.

They'd barely gone a few hundred feet when they stumbled upon the still form of Kate Michaels. Blood trickled from a deep cut on her forehead, and her eyes were wide open and staring straight ahead, unseeing. Janet dropped to her knees beside the fallen woman, placing two fingers against her throat for a moment, her heart sinking. She knew already what she would find; this woman was dead, and had been for at least an hour or two, judging by the lack of blood flow from her head wound—those kinds of lacerations always bled like crazy until either the patient died, or the flow could be stemmed. In this case, it was apparent that the Captain had been knocked unconscious by the blow that had caused the wound.

Sam glanced over at the smaller woman, one finger twitching on the trigger of her P90. "Janet?"

The physician shook her head sadly. "She's dead."

Sam swore under her breath, and made a quick circle around Janet, her nerves set on edge. Something wasn't right here. Janet noticed that the dead Captain's zat gun was missing, and turned to warn Sam.

Before she could get a word out, however, her entire body was engulfed in a pain-filled haze, and she blacked out. Just before she lost consciousness, she caught sight of Sam reaching for her radio, only to be zatted herself a moment later.

"_Sir, we're under atta—"_ Carter's words were cut off abruptly, replaced by a steady buzzing sound.

Jack yanked his radio out of his vest pocket. "Carter!" There was no response. "Major Carter, Doctor Fraiser, do you read me! Carter! Fraiser!" He released the 'talk' button, he and the medtech accompanying him making an about-face and heading in the other direction. He thumbed the button on his radio once more. "Daniel—"

"We found Colonel Derricks, Jack. He's alive, barely. The Captain's dead. We're on our way to meet you."

"We'll meet, then head to the 'Gate. The injured men need to be taken back to the SGC."

"Got it. Be there in five, Jack."

They reached the clearing where Sam and Janet had been in three minutes flat. Daniel and Teal'c each carried a body, the medtech between them supporting the Major. Burns began to slip, and before the medtech could shift him to a better position, he began to fall. Teal'c reached out, grasped his upper arm—the uninjured one—and lifted him up, bracing him until the medtech could slide her arm beneath him once more. She smiled gratefully at the Jaffa, the smile fading when she caught sight of the horrible tableau laid out before them: Captain Michaels' body lay deathly still on the ground. Beside her sat Janet's medical pack, one pocket unzipped and a few supplies visible within. A few feet away, Jack spotted Sam's radio. He noted that the Captain's zat gun was missing; their people had been taken down with their own weapons. Sam and Janet were nowhere to be found.

"Dammit!" His cry ricocheted off the surrounding trees, bouncing back at him, as if mocking him.

With the unconscious Colonel Derrick still slung over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, Teal'c knelt beside the Captain's body, feeling quickly for a pulse. His expression was grave as he looked up at Major Burns.

The Major's guilt and anger were obvious as he gazed at his two dead teammates. Kate Michaels and Benjamin Donner had just been added to the team, replacements for two others—their former leader had retired, which had led to Derrick's promotion to full Colonel; Lt. Austin had found herself pregnant with her fifth baby, surprising her and causing her to make the decision to leave the Air Force—and he'd found that he truly liked them. This was a tragedy, indeed.

And now, the SGC's resident genius and Chief Medical Officer were missing.

Jack knew he should have trusted his initial gut instincts about this mission.

Damn.

-/\-

_AN: OK, so what do you guys think? Review! Please!_


	5. Missing

**AN:** Oooookay, for those of you who are still with me on this, I apologize for the inexcusably long wait. There is a reason for my tardiness, however: I am an idiot. I have had this chapter done since _August of 2005_, but never posted it. Yeah. See? I really _am_ an idiot. I thought I'd already posted it, and then, when I logged onto my account, I realized that I only had four chapters up. So, yeah… Anyways, I truly appreciate those who've stuck with me through my insanely long waits between chapters. I kept getting distracted by the crap life throws at me – graduating from college, my cousin getting critically sick, some of my relatives being absolutely _insane_. It's been crazy. But, hey, it gives me material to use for my writing, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much, right? Oh, yes – you should know that I was _incredibly_ short on sleep while writing the first part of this chapter. As in, about four or five hours of sleep per night for an entire week, when I'm used to getting more like eight hours a night. Good news is, the rest was written with a little more sleep under my belt, so hopefully it came out OK. Oh, yeah – in my ramblings, I've totally forgotten – a great big THANK YOU to everyone who's reviewed so far! You've no idea what your support means to me!Anyways… on with the story (finally!). Enjoy, and please review!

_Previously:_

_And now, the SGC's resident genius and Chief Medical Officer were missing._

_Jack knew he should have trusted his initial gut instincts about this mission._

_Damn._

ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ

_**TANGLED RELATIONS**_

_Chapter 5: Missing_

When they reached the Stargate, Daniel dialed Earth's address, punching the buttons on the DHD with far more force than was necessary. Jack didn't blame him. They'd just managed to lose the two most important women who worked in the SGC, women that each man cared about in his own way. Even Teal'c was looking a little peeved, and for him to actually be displaying emotion openly on his usual stoic face meant that he must be borderline homicidal. This was bad. Very, very bad.

As the Stargate _kawooshed_ to life, Jack fought to keep his own emotions under control. He led his team – what was left of it – through the stone ring, emerging seconds later on the other side. Stepping out into the SGC, the weary men called for a medical team. They half-expected to see Janet come scurrying into the room, but were only greeted with the vaguely familiar faces of the various nurses and med-techs that worked under Janet. Hammond appeared in the Gate Room's doorway, peering questioningly at Jack. The glaring absence of both Carter and Fraiser, along with the pained looks on SG-1's faces, told him that the news he was about to receive was bad. He caught sight of Teal'c's expression, and after recovering from nearly going into paroxysms of shock at the sight of so much emotion on the Jaffa's face, decided that the news was very, _very_ bad.

"SG-1, report to the briefing room in five minutes."

Hammond turned on his heel and climbed the stairs to the briefing room. He found MacKenzie and Rabb watching the activity in the Gate Room through the large window that took up most of the far wall. They turned as one to face him, and the confusion on the Lt. Colonel's face made him sigh tiredly.

"General? Where are Major Carter and Doctor Fraiser? Were they left behind?"

He scrubbed a hand over his face, wishing desperately that he was anywhere but here. "I don't know, Colonel. You have my permission to be present at the debriefing. We'll get our answers then." With that, he went into his office, closing the door behind him.

When exactly five minutes had passed, Hammond exited his office to find Jack, Daniel, Teal'c, and Major Burns seated somberly on one side of the briefing room table. The Major's arm was carefully bandaged, and supported by a sling. Rabb, MacKenzie, and Jacob Carter were across from the four men, their expressions ranging from curiosity to concern.

Hammond took the chair at the head of the table, clasping his hands in front of him and looking at O'Neill expectantly.

Jack closed his eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and began his story.

Ten minutes later, Hammond was staring at his 2IC, Jacob's fists were clenched, and Mac and Harm looked horrified.

"Where the hell is my daughter, Jack?"

The Colonel looked up at the senior Carter. "I don't know, Jacob. But I'll find her. I promise you, I'll find her. I'll find them _both_." Amidst the pain in his eyes, there was a steely determination. His jaw was set, his knuckles white from the grip he had on the arms of his chair.

They would get them back.

They had to.

They _had_ to.

ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ

**AN:** It'll probably be awhile before my next chapter is up – I've got a nasty case of writer's block, and I'm easily distracted. Not a good combination. ;) Anyways – I keep coming up with more and more ideas for later in the story, along with storylines for different characters, as well as a few original characters that I'll be adding in – and Teal'c gets a girlfriend! Seriously, though – I've got about _eighteen_ pages of random story bits, most of which will need to be edited some, since my timeline had changed at least a half-dozen times and I've thrown out a few characters. I think I'll try to have some of the actually events in the show take place, only with my own twist. We'll see how it goes. Anyways… I've only got a line or two of the next chapter written, and I don't see it being finished anytime soon, so I hope you'll bear with me. Me being the insane person I am, I've got another major story I'm working on, plus I started a whole _new_ story, based in a TV show that I've never seriously written for before, so it'd been a challenge to keep myself on task with this one. I credit the work I _do_ get done to the ongoing support from my best friend, "Sunrise," who has stuck with me, sitting through brainstorming sessions and my own obsessive-compulsive perfectionist tendencies that have led to my changing the timeline so often. I swear, I must've rewritten that thing a dozen times, just because I didn't like the way it looked, or one detail was off. Anyways, sorry the chapter's so short, but I needed to cut it off here… Little bit of a cliffhanger, I know, but I wasn't ready quite yet to reveal what's happened to our favorite ladies. Stay tuned…


	6. Lost

**AN:** OK. I'm a horrible person. I haven't updated in… let's see… well, months. I do have a _little_ bit of an excuse though. See, I was in the middle of some major Real Life stuff. I moved out of my parents' house and into my own apartment in July, turned 20, and started my own business. I also discovered that said business is the best tree-killer I've ever encountered. Seriously. The paperwork is ridiculous. So, yeah, I've been kinda busy. Still, I am very sorry that I waited this long to get anything up. Also, since the last time I updated, I've become a full-blown _Stargate Atlantis_ fan. And a John/Lizzie shipper. Yup. Sparky-ness rocks! (And so does Spanky-ness!) Not to mention that, for awhile there, I suddenly developed a new love for my old _Star Trek: Voyager_ tapes. But don't worry; I'm over that. For now. ;) Hmm. Although there's a high probability that it was only because I didn't had any kind of cable at my new place for the first month-and-a-half. Which sucks. But as of the end of August, I have satellite! So I can watch _Stargate_!! I was taking over the office TV at my grandparents' house every Friday night until now, so I'm sure they'll be glad to have me out of their hair. Except, of course, for the fact that I also don't have internet here at the apartment. So I use their computer to check email/read stories/get spoilers every time I visit. (_sigh_) So… where was I? Oh, yes – apologizing for being such a slow updater. Here goes – my great, big, elaborate apology: (_drumroll please_)……. "I'm sorry."  
Ta-da. Great, wasn't it? OK, seriously, just ignore all this stupid rambling and GET ON WITH THE STORY. You know you wanna. Go on. (_pokes reader_) Just GO already, will ya? (_shoves reader in direction of story_)

_Previously:  
_"_Where the hell is my daughter, Jack?"  
The Colonel looked up at the senior Carter. "I don't know, Jacob. But I'll find her. I promise you, I'll find her. I'll find them both." Amidst the pain in his eyes, there was a steely determination. His jaw was set, his knuckles white from the grip he had on the arms of his chair.  
They would get them back.  
They had to.  
They **had** to._

ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ

_**TANGLED RELATIONS**_

_Chapter 6: Lost_

Sam leaned against Janet, drawing strength from her small-but-powerful form. The smaller woman had her knees pulled up to her chest to keep herself warm, her head resting on her best friend's shoulder.

They'd come to a short while after their capture, and were awake just long enough to realize that their weapons, radios, vests and jackets had been confiscated before they were dragged out of their cell to meet their captors. It was a group of a dozen or so men, all equipped with menacing expressions and overlarge egos. They had stated that the SG team had trespassed upon their land, and had broken one of their most sacred laws – that no one was to pass through the Great Ring. Sam had spoken up then, insisting that neither team had had any way of knowing that they were breaking any laws by coming through the Stargate. They had denied this, stating that their laws were well-known, and that anybody who ignored them must be punished. When Sam had tried to explain why they hadn't known the laws, both women were struck across the face, and they were dumped back into their cell, where they'd been ever since.

The Major now had what Janet assured her was a lovely-looking shiner across the right side of her jaw, while the doctor had a faint bruise beginning to appear on her left cheekbone.

Sam sighed in frustration as her thoughts continued to circle round and round in her mind, different scenarios and escape plans shuffling across her mind's eye like a slide show as she contemplated their situation. Both she and Janet were startled out of their musings when the door to their filthy little cell opened, and four men of considerable bulk lumbered in, each seizing one of the women's arms and guiding them firmly out of the room and down the corridor.

They were taken to another room, this one at least four times as large as their cell. The only contents of this room were two thick wooden benches, each with a set of shackles fastened securely to their surfaces, and a giant, throne-like chair set off to one side. Both women were secured in place, and then a heavyset, barrel-chested man entered the room, which seemed more likely to be a courtroom with every moment that passed. The man was presented with the throne-chair, in which he seated himself heavily. He stared down his squashed, pudgy nose at the pair of women, disdain obvious in his piggish features. His hair looked as if it was coated in some sort of oil or grease, and the effect was a comb-over look that reminded Sam of Donald Trump, which led to an absurd urge to giggle that she barely suppressed. Janet was evidently thinking along the same lines, because her face was tinged pink and her lips were pressed together tightly. Sam realized that it was quite probable that she'd spent too much time around the Colonel when _he_ was faced with enemies. He'd always kept up a running commentary of their captors' looks, personality – or lack thereof – and other such trivial manners, if only to let off a little steam and keep the rest of his team distracted from whatever might lay ahead. It was only when she barely resisted a snarky, "So, what kinda product do ya use to make your hair do that?" that she was able to confirm her suspicions: yes, she had most certainly spent too much time around the Colonel. She wasn't, however, able to contain herself during the next urge, and blurted out, "So where're the Muscle Men from earlier?"

The man's already small eyes narrowed even further, and Janet sighed in exasperation.

"Sorry," Sam said cheerfully, not really sounding all that apologetic. "I think I might be channeling the Colonel."

"I'd say that's a pretty good—"

"SILENCE!!!"

Sam ignored the hairy eyeball The Donald was sending her. Instead, she gave him a look of practiced innocence. She was cuffed on the head for her efforts. Apparently, she needed a little more practice.

"Sam, will you _stop_ antagonizing the big men with dangerous weapons, please?" Janet hissed.

"You stand accused of trespassing on our sacred grounds," The Donald said. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"We already told you that we had no idea that we were trespassing – we only came to rescue our team, who were attacked by _your_ people, I might add. What's the going rate for murder here? Huh? 'Cause you killed at least one of our people. Why don't you untie me, so I can return the favor?"

Ignoring her last words, The Donald droned, "Everyone knows our laws. If they are not obeyed, then punishment is deserved. Death is an acceptable price to pay for the crime committed."

The two women exchanged horrified looks as they realized just how bad their situation was. Sam was the first to regain the use of her voice: "And what penalty is suitable for _our_ 'crime'?"

The Donald sighed, as if bored, and replied, "A physical punishment will be satisfactory." He rose from his seat and turned to leave, waving a hand vaguely in their direction. "Take them away and prepare them."

"What sort of physical punishment are we talking about here?" Sam called after him. Her concern for her friend grew; Janet had never been tortured before. "Hey! I asked you a question!"

They were uncuffed, shoved out into the hallway, and led outside to a courtyard with a raised platform in the center. Spread out across this stage were five vertical wooden beams. Each had restraints dangling from the top, along with a pair of rings that protruded from the base of the beam. As they got closer, Sam could see that the rings were actually cuffs, designed to fasten around the ankles so that the legs of the prisoner would be rendered immobile. This was _not_ good.

She and Janet were pinned against separate posts while their captors closed the rings around their ankles and locked their wrists together high above their heads. Sam panicked momentarily when she felt the dull side of a cold blade against her spine, underneath her shirt. A moment later, there was a rush of cool air against her back as the knife sliced up through her shirt. Oh, yeah. This _definitely_ wasn't good.

From Janet's direction came a similar _rrrriiip_ sound. This was followed by what sounded like surprised murmurs, but she couldn't tell what was going on. Then the soldiers backed off, and all she could hear were heavy footsteps and then silence.

And then, she felt something hit her back, and for a moment all she registered was the fleeting ghost sensation of whatever it was, but what came next was worse – _much_ worse.

Fire tore through her back in a diagonal line from her right shoulder to her left hip, and she cried out.

The whipping continued, each lash leaving another burning trail across her back. She lost count at seventeen, her mind choosing instead to focus on the pain. Vaguely, between each strike of the whip on her own body, she could hear another whip hitting flesh several feet away. She twisted her head to peer over her shoulder, just in time to see Janet's body jerk. Despite the fact that every time she was struck, Sam inadvertently let out little whimpers and cries, Janet was utterly silent. The only outward sign of the extreme pain she was experiencing was a slight crinkling of the corners of her closed eyes as she winced. Above her head, her hands were clenched into tight fists, her knuckles white with the force she was exerting.

_Where are you, Jack?_ she thought, holding on to the knowledge that he would come for her – and Janet – at any cost.

ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ

"All right, ladies and gentlemen," Jack began, looking out over the small sea of faces spread out across the briefing room. Among them were Colonel MacKenzie and Commander Rabb, who were watching him, the former with more than a little worry evident in her expression. "This is a rescue mission, one we can _not_ afford to screw up. These two officers are our best and brightest. We _will_ bring them back." He looked down at the two Generals seated to either side of him. "General Carter's gonna lead SG-2 and SG-5; I'll be with SG-3 and SG-4; Teal'c will take Dr. Jackson and SG-6. We'll surround them and attack from multiple directions. Surprise is on our side here, so silence is a biggie." Here, he paused and shot a look at Daniel, whose eyes widened.

"Hey! I can be quiet!"

Despite the gravity of the situation, there were several chuckles around the room, and Daniel glared at Jack.

"As I was saying, silence is a _biggie_, but we wanna keep injuries and casualties to a minimum here. If either of the Majors find out that I let one of you fools get yourself killed out there while trying to rescue them, they'll kick my ass all the way to Ne'tu."

More soft chuckles; Mac and Harm exchanged confused looks, not understanding the joke.

"So, are we clear on everything? You've all got your orders, now let's get moving!"

"Yes, sir!" came at him in surround sound as chairs were pushed back and everyone beat feet to their respective locker rooms to change.

Less than ten minutes later, there were twenty-three people, himself included, lined up in the 'Gate room.

The technician fired up the 'Gate, and as the event horizon stabilized, Jack led the way up the ramp, shouting, "Let's _move out!!_"

_I'm coming, Sam…_

ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ

**AN2:** Finally! I got it written and posted! Thanks for reading, and for staying with me even through my frustratingly long absences. Also, I want to thank the anonymous reader who nominated this story for the 2006 Stargate Fan Awards. I was so surprised – I never thought my writing was worthy of such an honor, but apparently someone thinks different. Whoever you are, thank you. I only wish that I'd had the story somewhere near completion – one of the rules of the nominations is that you cannot have a story entered if it is not completed. So, with much regret, I had to pull out of the nominations, but I will always remember that someone out there liked my story as much as I do, if not more. So, thank you again!

**AN3:** I should probably tell you guys the _other_ reason that my chapters are coming so slowly now… See, I've got this thing for vidding, and it's pretty much grabbed hold of my creative muses and held them hostage until I finish a vid. Because of this, I've put out four Atlantis music videos (on top of the three I already had for SG-1) in the past couple of weeks, three of which I did in the past week-and-a-half. In fact, the two most recent ones I just did this past weekend – two vids in three days! In other words, I've got a new distraction, one I've found myself quite unable to control. Not that I'm complaining. I'm totally loving the vids I'm making! In case anyone is interested, I'll be putting the link to my LiveJournal in my "homepage" link area on my author's page here at In my journal, there are links to my seven vids – like I said, three SG-1 and four Atlantis). There are also more on the way, but I felt that it might be nice to actually update this story after all this time!

**AN4:** Last one, I swear!! Um, I was wondering what you guys would think if I proposed the idea of writing a sort of 'companion' story to go along with this one… it would be for _Atlantis_, and would start by branching off of the SG-1 story, the same way the show did. Now, keep in mind, this is just an idea. I haven't decided anything for sure just yet; all I know is that I am currently in the middle of lots of Atlantis stories right now – only a few of which are anywhere _near_ being ready to post – and I thought it might be neat to have one of them go along with this one… I'm not sure though. What do you guys think? Honestly? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this:)


	7. Found

**Author's Note:** So... I feel absolutely _terrible_. I mean, it's been THREE YEARS since I posted anything for this story (or any of my others). I promise I will do my very best to see that it never takes me that long again, but WOW there's been a lot going on in my life. First of all, since the last time I posted, I moved, adopted a kitten, lost a job, got two new jobs, lost one of those jobs, met a guy, got another new job (this time in my chosen profession), quit the older job, moved again, adopted a black Lab puppy, got engaged, quit my job and started a new one, moved _again_, lived with my in-laws-to-be for awhile, moved AGAIN, got in a car accident, got a second (part-time) job, got married, adopted _another_ kitten, bought a house, and moved for the final time. Whew! So that leaves the tally at... one full time job, two part-time jobs (I've been working for myself this whole time), a new husband, a three-year-old cat with an attitude, a two-year-old Labrador with boundless energy (and a destructive streak), a four-month-old kitten with even MORE energy (and he likes to make messes), a house to keep up, family drama and health issues... and just in case there wasn't enough insanity around here, we've decided to add the ultimate Chaos Factor: we're trying for a baby! (Also, as a side note: they killed Atlantis for me. It was SO good, and had SO much potential... and then BOOM. Gone. And the killing off of my favorite characters was a real turn-off for me.) OK, on with the story...

_Previously:_

_Fire tore through her back in a diagonal line from her right shoulder to her left hip, and she cried out._

Where are you, Jack?_ she thought, holding on to the knowledge that he would come for her – and Janet – at any cost._

_The technician fired up the 'Gate, and as the event horizon stabilized, Jack led the way up the ramp, shouting, "Let's __**move out**__!!"_

I'm coming, Sam…

ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ

_**TANGLED RELATIONS**_

_Chapter 7: Found_

The two Air Force Majors leaned against one another heavily as they traveled toward the Stargate. Their captors had released them, with all of their weapons and supplies, after their punishment had been completed. They'd shrugged their jackets on over their flayed backs and allowed themselves to be escorted until they were less than a mile from the 'Gate; after that, they'd been warned that they were being watched and then abandoned to their own devices.

They stumbled on by themselves, in pain and barely conscious.

ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ

By the time the rescue team made it through the 'Gate, the planet was in its night cycle. With only the light of the twin moons and their flashlights to guide them, they split into the three assigned groups and headed off in their various directions.

Jack's group had barely gone a few hundred meters when he heard leaves rustling up ahead. He motioned for everyone to get down. His team melted into their surroundings, becoming invisible to the untrained eye. Trusting his people to follow orders without supervision, he watched the brush closely. Two shadowed humanoid figures came out of the trees, not bothering to hide the sounds of their approach.

The Colonel examined the two individuals, taking in the shape of their clothing, the familiar sound of bootfalls, and the distinct outlines of the two forms – one tall and slim, the other shorter and curvier.

He sprang up instantly, gesturing that the others should follow. He simultaneously ran toward the two women and radioed the other two teams to retreat.

"The targets have been acquired. I repeat: the targets have been acquired."

"_Oh, thank God,_" came Daniel's relieved voice.

Moments later, Jacob followed with, "_Are they all right?_"

"They appear to be unharmed, just tired," Jack informed them as he got close enough to the doctor and the scientist to see them clearly. Both were hunched over, supporting each other's weight as they staggered forward together. "Carter? Doc?"

"Colonel?" Sam gasped, letting herself sag in relief. She slipped out of Janet's grasp, and Jack leapt forward, catching her before she could hit the ground. A moment later, Janet followed, and the Lieutenant standing next to Jack grabbed her, sliding an arm around her back to support her. She let out an odd, strangled whimper, which caused the Lieutenant to jerk away from her momentarily, afraid that he'd hurt her in some way.

Gritting her teeth, the doctor shook her head, indicating that she was all right. The Lieutenant reluctantly resumed his initial position, and Janet had to fight back a cry of pain.

Although he sensed that something wasn't right, Jack couldn't put his finger on it. Pushing the alarms in his head aside for the moment, he ordered the medics to assemble the pair of stretchers they'd brought along, just in case there were injuries that he couldn't see.

Jacob and his men came blazing out of the forest on their right, the General heading straight for his daughter. Daniel and Teal'c followed a few moments later from the left, their SG teams bringing up the rear. Daniel made a beeline for Janet. Teal'c noted the fact that both Jack and Jacob were with Sam, and decided to offer his assistance to the small crowd surrounding the diminutive doctor.

The two women were loaded onto the stretchers on their backs; both were grateful for the darkness, which hid their reactions to the pain that screamed through their bodies at the contact. Before either could turn onto their side, blankets were tucked around them and they were lifted, Jacob and Jack taking either end of Sam's stretcher while Daniel and Teal'c carried Janet's. A few minutes into the trip, Sam slipped into blessed unconsciousness, the pain overwhelming her. Janet blacked out not long after.

When they stopped responding to their friends' attempts at conversation, the procession was called to a halt so that the patients could be examined. Jack knelt beside Sam, Jacob hovering over his shoulder worriedly. He felt for her pulse, relieved to find it strong, if a bit fast. He moved his hands over her, searching for any unseen wounds. As he touched her side, his hand came away wet, and he held it close to his face, trying to identify it. Though the darkness shrouded it from view, he could feel its warmth and make out a metallic scent. Immediately, he called for light, and when the beam of Jacob's flashlight shone down on his hands, he was horrified to find his suspicions confirmed: it was blood.

Daniel's movements – and discovery – had mirrored his own several feet away as he looked Janet over; their eyes now met for a brief moment before they turned each woman on her side, searching for the source of the blood.

There were dark streaks criss-crossing the back of Sam's jacket, stains that bore a terrifying resemblance to something Jack had seen before, and had hoped he'd never see again.

With shaking hands, he carefully removed her jacket, peeling it away from her back to reveal a bloody canvas on which a torturous picture had been painted: Sam had been whipped, badly. A quick glance at Janet told him that Sam wasn't the only one.

"Dammit! All right, get them both on their stomachs with clean blankets over them, _now!_ We need to double-time it back to the SGC!"

Everyone shook themselves, trying to get rid of the horrific image of torn flesh. None succeeded.

Within minutes, they were dialing the 'Gate and rushing the two injured officers through to the 'Gate room, where a medical team was waiting. The Majors were quickly wheeled away to the infirmary while the rest of the men and women stayed behind, still in shock.

They were all ordered to shower and report to the infirmary for post-mission check-ups, followed by a debriefing. Everyone left, save for SG-1 and Jacob Carter.

Jack was staring down at his hands, which still had Sam's blood on them. They began to shake, so he clenched them into fists, ignoring the sticky grit of drying blood. Jacob was standing frozen in place. Something suddenly dawned on Jack, who whirled around to face the retired General.

"The healing device! Jacob, you and Selmak can help them with the healing device!"

The older man seemed to come back to full power at these excited words, and he took off for Sam's lab without another word. The other three men bolted into the corridor, where they nearly ran down two lawyers.

"Colonel, what's going on?" Mac asked, trying to make sense of the flurry of activity she'd just witnessed.

"We found them alive, but injured. That's all I know right now. Excuse me." Jack pushed past them, with Daniel and Teal'c right on his heels. The two JAG officers exchanged worried looks before following the trio of men.

They all piled into the infirmary, and were directed to one side, where a few nurses were doing half-hearted check-ups. Everyone's attention was focused on the screen behind which both Sam Carter and Janet Fraiser were being treated. Jacob flew into the medical bay, the healing device in hand. He took a deep breath just outside the curtain, and then plunged inside, giving Mac a long enough look inside to become sick to her stomach. She turned away, running into the closest object – Harm's chest. Startled, he slowly curled his arms around her, squeezing her gently to show his support as she fought for control over her intense nausea. He felt her shudder against him, one of her fists clenching a handful of his uniform shirt as she tried to center herself.

Before long, the Marine came to her senses and pulled away, aware that the base's commander was standing nearby, although his focus was on his own people, and not the JAG officers.

Seeing that the amount of movement and activity surrounding the two Majors hadn't slowed, and wasn't likely to any time soon, Mac and Harm settled into wait.

It was going to be a long night.


End file.
